India out to sustain momentum as World Cup prep gathers steam

It doesn't seem long ago when the Indian players were gearing up for the challenge of facing England in their own turf. But such is the hectic schedule that it feels as if the Indian set-up is akin to a train chugging along from one station to another without any break. After playing six limited overs games in England followed by an ODI series in the West Indies, the next stop for the Indian team is a T20I series against the Caribbean side. Once again the narrative surrounding the T20I rubber, starting with the first game at the Brian Lara stadium, would be about testing different players in order to pick a formidable squad for the T20 World Cup in Australia. Despite the hectic schedule, India have done remarkably well to not get hit by the inconsistency bug in England and the West Indies so far. With so many matches being played, the think tank has looked to rotate the players. Among those players returning to the set-up, the onus will be firmly on R Ashwin. The off-spinner needs enough arrows in his quiver to survive in an era where spinners who bowl quick through the air and zoom the ball on the stumps are preferred in the shortest format. India also would prefer some variety in their pace attack for the T20 World Cup. So Arshdeep Singh could be given a few opportunities. The left-arm bowler did show encouraging signs in the only T20I he played in England by generating swing with the batch of white Kookaburra balls that were used for that series. Avesh Khan, who failed to adjust to the slow nature of the pitch at Port of Spain in the ODIs, would be hoping to erase those memories and find his rhythm in the shortest format. Since India's failure in the T20 World Cup last year, the think tank has tried to turbo-charge the batting unit by giving a booster shot. Nothing encapsulated the point more than Rohit Sharma attempting a wild slog across the line while playing David Willey in the second T20I in England. The India skipper, though, couldn't convert any of his starts into substantial scores in the T20Is in England, a point that he would look to rectify in the West Indies. Rishabh Pant's elevation to the top of the order in England also is an indicator about the direction that the Indian camp wants to take moving forward. In the middle order, Suryakumar Yadav has showcased his ability to move back and across in order to take on the hard length with the pull while Deepak Hooda seems to have improved his range of shots through the off-side. Both of them have added depth to the middle order. Meanwhile, their opponents, the West Indies, would hope for a quick lift after suffering a 3-0 drubbing in the ODIs. T20 cricket is also a format that suits their style of play. They did beat England in a T20I series earlier in the year and followed that by blanking Bangladesh 2-0. Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, the returning Shimron Hetmyer, alongside the all-rounders - Odean Smith, Jason Holder and Romario Shepherd - provide the West Indies with enough batting firepower. While Shamarh Brooks would be expected to anchor the innings. Alzarri Joseph will spearhead the pace attack, with Obed McCoy adding variety to the attack. Among the spinners, Akeal Hosein has bowled with control and also has a deceptive arm-ball. Hayden Walsh jnr is the second frontline spinner in the squad. When: West Indies vs India, 1st T20I, July 29, 10.30 AM local Where:Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba, Trinidad What to expect: The stadium is yet to host an international match but enough CPL games have been played at the ground. The average first innings score is 141. So we could be in for a pitch on the slower side. June to December is generally the rainy season in Trinidad and Tobago and that could mean chances of rain showers. Team News West Indies The West Indies announced a 16-member squad with Hetmyer returning to the fold after passing a fitness test. The aggressive middle order batter is set to slot into the side. Probable XI: Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Nicholas Pooran (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Odean Smith, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Romario Shepherd, Obed McCoy and Hayden Walsh jnr/Alzarri Joseph India The visitors might be tempted to give chances to Deepak Hooda and Arshdeep Singh. R Jadeja missed out on the ODI series due to a fitness issue and could be rested for the opening T20I as well, with the in-form Axar Patel taking his place. Probable XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Rishabh Pant, Deepak Hooda/Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, R Ashwin/Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh What they said: "Very excited with our T20 team, looking forward to the game on Friday. Hope that we come out and entertain the crowd," Nicholas Pooran said after the final ODI against India.